Tis’ the season for giving, and what is a better way to give than through a holiday hug! Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center’s Give Holiday Hugs program allows blood donors to write a note to blood recipients when making a donation in the month of November and December. The notes are then sent to local hospitals along with a holiday teddy bear to help brighten the day of someone who is spending the holidays in the hospital.

Billie Johnson getting bear hugs from a few of the bears waiting to be delivered!

Our very own Billie Johnson and Jenna Patterson made their ways down to Texas recently and on December 7th were able to take part in preparing some of the bears for delivering!

Billie has this to share about her experience there, “Incept has been involved in spreading the word about the Holiday Hugs program for years, so to have the opportunity to visit the blood center and be a part of reading the cards, attaching them to the bears, and boxing them up, knowing that a child that is spending their holidays in the hospital will soon have one to hug when they are frightened or sad, is completely overwhelming. At so many points through the day, I found myself giving thanks for my children’s health. It is truly humbling.”

Thousands of bears with personalized notes will be delivered this holiday season to patients. What a great way to spread holiday cheer!